When the girls and I got home from Playa Punta Tuna on Saturday, Ms. Dees was all shook up about the two storms headed our way. You see, her brother had called to warn her about the storms coming and to ensure she was prepared. Her response was just like mine, "what storms?"
After unpacking, showering, etc, I was finally able to sit down at the old compu and see what this whole storm nonsense was all about. My first and only stop in situations like this is to pull up the National Hurricane Center. After a quick check of the public advisories and projections, I went back to Ms. Dees and said, there is little risk that these storms will cause us any problems.
Of course, she had already gotten an earful of hyperbole from her brother and my assurances fell on deaf ears. On Sunday, she was still in freak-out mode and insisted that we go buy water and batteries, blah, blah, blah. I needed to pickup a few things for dinner from the supermarket, so I begrudgingly agreed to head to the store. I swung by Walmart and there was already a line of cars, just waiting to get in the parking lot. So I rerouted to Ralph's and was happy to find the parking lot free of lines. However, once inside I could see that everyone there was also in freak-out mode.
Back at home after waiting for an unbelievably long line at the checkout counter, the missus was satisfied but still in freak-out mode. I told her that a new update would be available at 5:00 pm, and we went about preparing dinner. At 5:00 pm she headed to the television, and called to me to join her. As I was headed for the computer for an update from the National Hurricane Center, I called out, I don't care what they have to say.
Now this may come as a shock, but sometimes I come off as an arrogant Mr. Know-it-all. Ms Dees had a few choice words to that effect as I said that I didn't give a shit what the local news was saying, but she declared that she was still going to watch the news. That's when it hit me. There was a huge difference between what I was reading and viewing on the Internet and what the local news coverage were reporting about the two storms. (See the projected path above, as of Sunday at 5:00 pm)
I think that it is a sad state when we can not trust our local news coverage of hurricanes. While they were still running around, waving their hands, and screaming "The sky is falling," it was very clear to me that the storms posed little or no risk to Puerto Rico. (Have you ever noticed that when the local news starts to do special hurricane coverage they put on these dark blue windbreakers? Even the Governor usually does it. It's almost as if they enjoy playing "dress-up" while simultaneously inciting mass hysteria. And the viewers are like, OMG, OMFG, they've got the windbreakers on, this MUST be serious!)
In the end, while we're still waiting for Bill to pass WAY to the north of Puerto Rico, it clear that the National Hurricane Center was right, and that most of the local coverage was inaccurate, tending towards exaggeration. It makes you wonder, if they screw up the reporting of a hurricane, how badly are they doing with general news?
In a classic example from last week, Jon Stewart from the Daily Show exposes how various militant right wing supporters have grossly contradicted themselves recently with their either praise of Governor Sarah Palin as a good VP candidate or their criticism for the treatment and questioning she has received on subjects such as her pregnant teenage daughter or gender.
This is what is truly missing from our journalism today. How can anyone watch a video montage like this and then respect or believe anything out of these people's mouths?
Watch and learn form the masters....
[Update - Sorry to any of you that tried to watch the clip, but Youtube pulled the copyrighted content. Damn copyright police. Anyway here's where you can see the segment on Governor Palin.]
While you might think that I only obsess about things here in Dondequiera, rest assured, I torture all of my friends and family in the "real" world too. My latest demented device of torture is the future of journalism. Let's not mince words here, this is serious. Again from "The Assault on Reason" by Al Gore:
"The replacement of an easily accessible, print-based marketplace of ideas with a restricted access, television-based realm has lead to a radical transformation of the nature and operation of the marketplace of ideas in the United States."With the decline and questionable future of newspapers, we are creating the opposite of what we need, which is, according to Gore,
"When the operations of a government are open to full examination by its citizens and subjected to vigorous discussion and debate, then the corrupt misuse of public power for private gain becomes more difficult to conceal. If the rule of reason is the standard by which every use of official power is evaluated, then even the most complex schemes to violate the public's trust can be uncovered and policed by well informed citizenry."Increasingly, the Internet is becoming the only way we'll be able to establish the marketplace of ideas so desperately needed. Gore adds,
Fortunately, the Internet has the potential to revitalize the role played by the people in our constitutional framework. It has extremely low entry barriers for individuals. It is the most interactive medium in history and the one with the greatest potential for connecting individuals to one another and to a universe of knowledge. It's a platform for pursuing the truth, and the decentralized creation and distribution of ideas, in the same way that markets are a decentralized mechanism for the creation and distribution of goods and services. It's a platform, in other words, for reason.Our good friend Gil The Jenius, has always tried to add his two cents into that marketplace, but he's started a new fountain of reason in Jenius Jots. Anyone who wants to take part in the market place of ideas that will shape our future, the future of our children, and grandchildren should add Jenius Jots to your daily reading list.
I believe this is exactly where the future of journalism and an informed citizenry is headed. For better or worse, we are reading less, and being entertained more. So to the extent we can crystallize into bite-sized morsels the ideas, news, and issues that should inspire people to pursue the truth, then I believe we should and I believe it will resemble Jenius Jots.
As the awareness of the problem with journalism and newspapers grows, loyal reader Gabriel brought this event to our attention. The local chapter of the Overseas Press Club (OPC) wants to jump start a closer examination by hosting "Periodismo en tiempos de crisis: la autogestión de los medios" To be held on Thursday, August 7, 2008 from 7:00pm - 10:00pm, the event will examine how this crisis will impact the way journalists cover and report the news. Will these changes be for the better or for the worse?
As an active member of the journalism community, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón will host the event in Sala B of the Artes building. In the eyes of the Overseas Press Club this is one of the most difficult times for journalists in a long time. To discuss the situation from many angles, the OPC has composed a panel of respected media professionals, academics, and experts in applicable laws. For more information you can contact the Overseas Press Club de Puerto Rico at (787) 505-1343 or email at opcpr@yahoo.com.
I would encourage anyone who is either concerned with the potential disappearance and further consolidation of journalism to attend this event. But perhaps it is indicative of the problem that the announcement of this event doesn't even mention the Internet or include any "experts" on Web 2.0 within the panel. I think like marketers, most local journalists are the proverbial ostrich with their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to the Internet and the impact it is having on their business (see graphic from yesterday); just keep smiling!
Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: sskennel